April 14, 2026
The United States and Israel launched coordinated military operations against the Iranian regime on February 28, 2026. The action, focused on the regime's nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and leadership, followed a conclusion reached in Washington and Jerusalem that diplomacy had been exhausted, and that a nuclear-armed Iran posed an unacceptable security threat to the United States, Israel, America’s Arab allies, and global security.
After 40 days of sustained combat, a ceasefire took effect on April 8, 2026, marking the end of a major joint campaign aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities, countering its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and reshaping the regional security landscape. Here is what you need to know.
What happened?
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States launched strikes against the Iranian regime, saying “the United States military began major combat operations in Iran” to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” and reiterating that Tehran “can never have a nuclear weapon.”
The U.S. operation, Epic Fury, was carried out alongside Israel’s campaign Roaring Lion, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating Israel acted to remove “the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran.”
Over the course of the 40-day campaign:
- Israel conducted more than 10,800 strikes on over 4,000 targets
- The Israeli Air Force dropped over 18,000 bombs in more than 1,000 waves
- The United States carried out approximately 13,000 strikes on Iranian military targets
Targets included nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure, air defense systems, military production sites, and senior leadership. Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran and other key strategic locations tied to defense and intelligence networks.
What’s Happening in U.S.–Iran Negotiations Right Now?
As the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire holds, a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz went into effect on April 13, following the collapse of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend. President Trump warned that any Iranian fast-attack vessels that approach the blockade will be destroyed.
In The Times of Israel, Anne Dreazen, Vice President of AJC’s Center for a New Middle East, writes, “The latest round of U.S.-Iran negotiations in Islamabad ended without agreement. That outcome is disappointing, but not surprising. The gaps between the two sides were always going to be difficult to bridge, particularly on the two issues that matter most: Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the status of the Strait of Hormuz.” Read Dreazen’s full analysis.
How Iran Conducted Its Missile and Drone Campaign During the Wa
Iran launched sustained waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israeli population centers as well as U.S. military positions across the region.
Over the course of the war:
- Approximately 650 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel
- Many missiles carried cluster munitions, increasing civilian risk
- 20 Israeli civilians and foreign nationals were killed, along with 4 Palestinians in the West Bank
- More than 7,000 Israelis were injured and over 5,500 displaced
At the height of the initial barrage, roughly 80 missiles were fired on the first day, followed by about 60 the next day, and 30 on the third. In the weeks that followed, attacks declined to roughly 10–20 missiles per day as Iran’s capabilities were degraded.
Iran also expanded attacks across the Gulf, targeting or impacting Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—including strikes on energy infrastructure, civilian areas, and locations near U.S. military installations.
As of mid-April, amid a fragile ceasefire, Iran’s ability to sustain large-scale attacks appears significantly reduced. Israeli operations reportedly destroyed or disabled roughly 60% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and severely degraded its missile production capacity, limiting its ability to replenish stockpiles in the near term.
Did Iran Target U.S. Forces?
Yes. Iranian strikes directly targeted U.S.-linked facilities, including sites associated with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and bases in Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq.
These attacks resulted in American casualties:
- At least 13 U.S. service members killed
- Approximately 140 wounded
This underscores that U.S. forces were not only at risk but were actively targeted as part of Iran’s escalation.
Did Iran Target Global Energy and Shipping?
Iran has increasingly targeted energy and maritime infrastructure across the Gulf.
Strikes hit oil facilities in the UAE, targeted Saudi Arabia’s Shaybah oil field, and damaged Bahrain’s refinery and desalination infrastructure. At the same time, Iranian actions near the Strait of Hormuz—including threats to shipping—reduced tanker traffic and heightened global concerns about energy supply disruptions.
Which Iranian Regime Leaders Have Been Killed?
The joint U.S.–Israel operation has targeted senior Iranian officials responsible for overseeing Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile development, support for terrorist proxies, and the regime’s repression of domestic protests.
Iranian state media, along with U.S. and Israeli officials, confirmed that Ali Khamenei — Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989 — was killed in strikes on Tehran. Satellite imagery shows extensive destruction at his compound following the attack, which Israeli officials said targeted a meeting of senior Iranian security leaders.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the opening phase of the operation included coordinated strikes on several locations in Tehran where top military and regime officials had gathered.
Among the senior figures reported killed are:
- Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran’s army chief of staff
- Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s defense minister
- Mohammad Pakpour, head of Iran’s elite military force responsible for regional proxy operations
- Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to the Supreme Leader and former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
- Mohammad Shirazi, head of the Supreme Leader’s military bureau
- Hossein Jabal Amelian, head of the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), linked to advanced weapons development
- Saleh Asadi, head of the intelligence directorate of the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command
- Reza Mozaffari-Nia, former head of SPND and former deputy defense minister
In addition, on March 17, Israeli officials reported the elimination of two more senior regime figures:
- Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and longtime regime insider accused of overseeing crackdowns on anti-regime protests
- Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia, Iran’s central internal repression force
Israeli officials said the strikes targeted a high-level security meeting involving figures responsible for directing Iran’s strategic military programs, including missile and drone operations, as well as the regime’s internal security apparatus.
Following the death of Ali Khamenei, Iranian authorities reportedly established a temporary leadership council — including Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Alireza Arafi — to oversee the transition. Iranian state media has since reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader and a longtime behind-the-scenes power broker, has been appointed as Iran’s new supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts. The transition marks the most significant leadership shift in the Islamic Republic since the Iranian Revolution.
Who Was Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Why Was He a Threat to the World?
Ali Khamenei, 86, has served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding the Islamic Republic's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini. As Supreme Leader, he held ultimate authority over Iran’s military, judiciary, and key political institutions while serving as the regime’s highest religious authority. A mid-ranking cleric without the senior religious credentials of his predecessor, Iran amended its constitution to allow Khamenei’s appointment.
Under Khamenei, Iran expanded its regional power through the backing of terrorist proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The United States and several Western governments designate Iran as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, while Tehran has continued advancing its nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities.
At home, Khamenei’s rule was marked by harsh repression, especially of protest movements over the years, including the 2009 Green Protests, 2022 Women, Life, and Freedom Protests, and most recently the protests in January 2026. Authorities have repeatedly imposed internet shutdowns during nationwide protests, and human rights groups report that security forces have killed tens ofthousands of demonstrators during successive crackdowns.
Khamenei has long engaged in spreading antisemitism, including Holocaust denial. His hostility toward Israel has been explicit. He called the Jewish state a “cancerous tumor” and “rabid dog,” promoted conspiracy theories about “Zionist” influence in Western politics, and circulated messaging invoking the Nazi phrase “Final Solution” in reference to Israel. For decades, opposition to Israel and the United States had been central to his rule.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's New Supreme Leader?
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has been appointed the new supreme leader of the Iranian regime following the elimination of his father, Ali Khamenei, by U.S. and Israeli forces on February 28. In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Mojtaba Khamenei, noting that he had been “representing the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father.” Despite 2019 U.S. sanctions, networks linked to Iran’s supreme leader allegedly funneled billions in oil revenue through Western banks to buy over £100 million ($138 million) in luxury property in London and Dubai—assets that are now controlled by Mojtaba. Mojtaba’s close ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the regime’s hardline establishment suggest that Tehran is unlikely to moderate its regional posture in the near term.
How are Iranian-backed Terror Proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis Responding?
Hezbollah: Hezbollah significantly escalated its attacks on Israel in the early phase of the conflict, launching rockets, missiles, and drones from southern Lebanon and triggering air raid sirens across northern and, at times, central Israel.
The group re-entered the conflict on March 2, firing rockets into northern Israel for the first time since the November 2024 ceasefire. In the days and weeks that followed, Hezbollah carried out sustained barrages, including launches of over 100 rockets in a single evening and hundreds more projectiles over subsequent days. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon reported monitoring hundreds of cross-border launches as hostilities intensified.
On March 8, two Israel Defense Forces soldiers—Sgt. First Class Maher Khatar, 38, and Staff Sgt. Or Demry, 20—were killed in an ambush in southern Lebanon. May their memories be a blessing.
Israel responded with extensive airstrikes targeting Hezbollah weapons depots, command centers, rocket launchers, and senior operatives across southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, alongside limited ground operations near the border and evacuation warnings that contributed to large-scale displacement. Fighting has centered around Bint Jbeil, a key Hezbollah stronghold, where Israeli forces are reportedly close to fully seizing the town after killing more than 100 operatives and dismantling significant militant infrastructure.
Despite a broader April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Hezbollah has continued near-daily attacks, averaging roughly 30 strikes per day, including rocket barrages and explosive drone launches. A recent strike near Karmiel caused no reported injuries. The group also launched rockets as high-level U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon began, underscoring its opposition to diplomatic efforts .
At the same time, the intensity of Hezbollah’s operations has declined compared to earlier phases of the war, suggesting a degree of calibration as both sides seek to avoid a broader regional escalation.
Meanwhile, a significant diplomatic track is emerging. Israeli and Lebanese officials held rare, high-level talks in Washington aimed at launching direct negotiations, with the United States pushing for a framework that would strengthen Lebanese state control and reduce Iran’s influence . The Lebanese government has signaled interest in reasserting sovereignty and potentially disarming Hezbollah, while the group itself has rejected these efforts and continues its attacks.
- What AJC is Saying | “[The] announcement of direct peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon represents a critical opportunity to advance regional peace. Both the Israeli and Lebanese people deserve the chance for a better future. A sustainable peace requires seriously addressing Hezbollah’s armed presence. Negotiations present a meaningful pathway that must result in the full disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty. We wish the negotiators success in this critical endeavor.” Share on X.
Hamas: Hamas has publicly expressed support for Tehran and condemned what it described as “Zionist-American aggression” against the Islamic Republic. Hamas leaders have called for unity across the region against Israel but, so far, the group has not launched large-scale attacks in response to the current escalation. Israeli officials say Hamas’s capabilities in Gaza remain significantly degraded following months of Israeli military operations.
Houthis: Unlike Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen did not initially intervene in support of Iran during the early phase of the conflict. However, they have since escalated their involvement by launching ballistic missiles toward Israel, marking a significant expansion of the conflict beyond its initial fronts. While the Houthis had previously declared solidarity with Iran and mourned the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, their direct military action underscores the growing role of Iran-backed proxies in the broader regional escalation.
Why is Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz?
To pressure the world by threatening global energy supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategically important waterways in the world, with roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passing through this narrow corridor connecting the Gulf to the open ocean.
During the conflict, Iran signaled its willingness to disrupt shipping—through attacks, mining threats, and aggressive naval activity—in an effort to raise the global cost of confronting the regime. Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reinforced this strategy, framing the strait as a key point of leverage against Iran’s adversaries.
However, following the April 8 ceasefire, there are early indications that Iran has scaled back immediate threats to fully close the strait, as part of a broader effort to avoid further escalation and stabilize the situation. Commercial shipping traffic has begun to normalize, though it remains below typical levels, and international naval forces continue heightened patrols.
Despite this de-escalation, the underlying threat has not disappeared. Tehran has long used the possibility of disrupting the Strait of Hormuz as strategic leverage, and retains the capability to quickly escalate again if tensions rise.
Blocking or significantly disrupting the strait would still risk spiking global energy prices, disrupting trade, and placing pressure on the United States, Europe, and Gulf Arab states.
In other words, while the immediate risk has eased, Iran continues to hold the potential to turn a regional conflict into a global economic crisis.
How Did We Get Here?
For decades, the Iranian regime has pursued nuclear weapons, long-range ballistic missiles, and a global network of terrorist proxies — including Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis — openly threatening Israel, destabilizing the region, and targeting the United States and countries throughout the world, including supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine through tens of thousands of suicide drones.
The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), slowed parts of Iran’s nuclear program but left its missile arsenal and terror network intact, and after the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, Tehran accelerated its violations.
Iran also played a role in supporting Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre and abduction of Israelis — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust — followed by direct Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel in April and October 2024.
Diplomacy regarding the Iranian regime’s illicit nuclear weapons program collapsed in early 2025 when Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected nuclear talks as Iran enriched uranium to 60% and restricted inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). After the IAEA censured Tehran, the regime announced another hardened enrichment facility, with an IAEA report indicating Iran was much closer to a nuclear weapon than previously believed. In response, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, followed days later by U.S. strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. It’s important to note that in June of 2025, the U.S. asked Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program, and it refused to do so.
At the same time, Iran faced a growing internal crisis: protests spread across all 31 provinces amid economic collapse and a plunging currency, and human rights groups reported that security forces killed more than 6,000 demonstrators and arrested tens of thousands in a sweeping crackdown.
Amid a major U.S. military buildup in the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran held multiple rounds of indirect nuclear talks, mediated by Oman, toward a deal that could prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear‑weapon‑usable material. President Trump stated that he preferred a diplomatic solution but remained skeptical, insisting that “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons” and warning that military options remain if Tehran failed to accept the verifiable, long‑term elimination of its program.
Key AJC Resources on Iran’s Threats, Proxies, and Regional Influence
AJC has been tracking Iran's nuclear threat, domestic repression, and regional aggression for years. Key AJC resources for background:
Understanding the Latest Joint U.S.-Israel Operation in Iran - AJC Advocacy Anywhere
Watch American Jewish Committee's (AJC) urgent briefing with leading experts who will break down the evolving situation, assess the regional and geopolitical consequences, and provide critical insight into what to watch in the days and weeks ahead.
Analysis from AJC's Center for a New Middle East
Iran's Terror Network
- Iranian Regime’s War on America: Four Decades of Targeting U.S. Forces and Citizens
- What is Iran's IRGC?
- Hezbollah, Hamas, and More: Iran's Terror Network Around the Globe
- The Houthis, Explained
Protests and Human Rights
- Explained: What to Know About the Protests in Iran
- AJC Urges International Community to Protect Iranians
Sanctions and Diplomacy
June 2025 12-Day War
